In this guide, we explain how to capitalize when writing and cover all the English capitalization rules. We also share a list of what words need to be capitalized and provide a few capitalization examples. But first let’s talk a little about capitalization in general. That last one, proper nouns, is where a lot of the confusion comes from. Some words, like the name Albert Einstein, are always capitalized; however, others are capitalized only in certain situations and are lowercase in others. For example, directions like north and west are normally lowercased but are capitalized when they’re used as part of a geographic name, like the West Coast. Let’s take a closer look at what words need to be capitalized and when. Both the first and last names of a person are capitalized. Likewise, middle names, nicknames, and suffixes like Jr. are also capitalized. Historical names that include descriptive words often follow the rules for title capitalization: Prominent words are capitalized, but small words like the or of are not. Capitalization in titles is where a lot of capitalization errors come from. The title of any piece of work—books, movies, songs, poems, podcast episodes, comic-book issues, etc.—requires capitalization, but only certain words in the title are capitalized. What words need to be capitalized in titles? For starters, the first word in a title is always capitalized. Nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs all need to be capitalized in titles as well. Small words like articles and prepositions are generally lowercased, unless they’re the first word in a title. However, some style guides have their own preferences, so double-check if you have any doubts. If you’re using the name of a place, capitalize it. This applies to everything from tiny Deer Creek to the massive planet Jupiter. Keep in mind that if you are not using the name of a place but the general word to describe it, you do not capitalize that word. In English, countries, nationalities, and languages are capitalized. Country names fall under the category of places, but by extension the names of the people who live there and the adjective form of their culture are also capitalized. This includes languages. The names of companies, brands, agencies, and other large groups like hospitals are also proper nouns. Some small words like prepositions may still be lowercased in such names. If you’re referring to a department by its proper name, you can capitalize it. However, if you’re referring to a general department, keep it lowercased. Capitalize periods and events when referring to them by their specific name but not when you’re using them as general terms. If a period of time is named after a proper noun, capitalize the proper noun. The word for the period is sometimes capitalized, as in the examples below, but other times it is lowercased, as in the Victorian age. Generally, you do not capitalize the names of centuries because they are too broad. In English days and months are capitalized because they are proper nouns. When words like day or month are used generally, they are not capitalized. However, if they are part of a holiday name, they count as a proper noun and are capitalized. Initials and acronyms combine the first letters of multiple words to make a new word. Typically, these use all capital letters. However, some acronyms are used so often, they become separate words and use lowercase letters instead. For example, the word scuba started as an acronym for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus—now it’s a common word on its own, so it’s spelled in lowercase letters. The capitalization of family titles is a confusing topic. Family titles like mom or uncle can be either proper nouns or common nouns. In short, capitalize them when they’re used as proper nouns but lowercase them when they’re used as common nouns. When family titles are used as common nouns, there is usually an article (the, a, an) or a possessive noun (my, your, our, etc.) in front of them. If you see an article or a possessive noun, it means keep the family title lowercase. Another confusing topic is capitalization in quotes. The most important thing to know is whether the quote is a complete sentence or a sentence fragment. If the quote is a complete sentence, it starts with a capital letter, even if it begins in the middle of the sentence. If the quote is a sentence fragment, do not capitalize it. This is most common when you’re quoting only a specific word or phrase instead of a long passage. Capitalization after colons depends on what the colon is used for. If a colon is used to introduce a list, do not use capitalization. If the colon is used to introduce an independent clause, capitalization is optional. However, different style guides have different preferences, so double-check with whatever format you’re using. Are seasons capitalized? In general, the seasons—spring, summer, autumn (fall), and winter—are not capitalized. They use lowercase just like other common nouns. However, often seasons are used in titles, especially in fashion. In this case, they are part of a proper noun, and so they are capitalized. Just like the seasons, job titles, positions, or honorifics are sometimes capitalized and sometimes lowercased. When these titles are used as part of a proper name, they are capitalized; when they refer to the general job or position, they are lowercased. Likewise, honorifics like Mr. and Ms. are capitalized when used before a name. The English capitalization rules require that the first letter of certain words is capitalized. Specifically, the pronoun I, the first word of a sentence, and proper nouns like names are capitalized. Some proper nouns can also be common nouns, so it’s difficult to know how to capitalize them. Generally, always capitalize the names of people, places, titles of works, nationalities, languages, institutions like companies, historical eras, days, months, holidays, initials, and acronyms. Your writing, at its best.Get GrammarlyIt's freeWorks on all your favorite websitesRelated ArticlesGrammarWhat Are Verbs With “S”?GrammarWhat Part of Speech Is “Was”?GrammarTest Grammar: Essential English Grammar to Ace Your Next TestGrammarWhat Are Split Infinitives? Meaning and ExamplesGrammarMastering End-of-Sentence Punctuation: Periods, Question Marks, Exclamation Points, and MoreGrammarEssential Comma Rules for Business EmailsWriting, grammar, and communication tips for your inbox.subscribeGet GrammarlyGrammarly for Your DesktopGrammarly for WindowsGrammarly for MacGrammarly Browser ExtensionGrammarly for ChromeGrammarly for SafariGrammarly for FirefoxGrammarly for EdgeGrammarly for MS OfficeGrammarly for Google DocsGrammarly for MobileGrammarly for iPhoneGrammarly for iPadGrammarly for AndroidLearn MorePlansGrammarly PremiumGrammarly BusinessGrammarly for EducationGenerative AIBlogTech BlogEducation BlogBusiness BlogFeaturesGrammar CheckerPlagiarism CheckerCitation GeneratorEssay CheckerParaphrasing ToolAI Writing ToolsTone DetectorStyle GuideSnippetsAnalyticsBrand TonesCompanyAboutWe Stand With UkraineResponsible AICareers & CulturePressAffiliatesPartnersTrust CenterPrivacy PolicyTerms of ServiceCustomer Business AgreementCA Privacy NoticeSecurityAccessibilityConnectHelp CenterContact Us Facebook Instagram X LinkedIn2024 © Grammarly Inc.